We are doing science for policy

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission's science and knowledge service which employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy.

Research

Our scientific work supports a whole host of EU policies in a variety of areas from agriculture and food security, to environment and climate change, as well as nuclear safety and security and innovation and growth.

Our research topics give a deeper insight into that support of EU policy, while you can also discover the unique laboratories and facilities where our scientists work.

News & Events

Our news gives you an insight into our support of EU policy and highlights the scientific research carried out everyday within the European Commission.

You can also sign up for our monthly newsletter for all the latest information directly to your inbox and check out our events for opportunities to participate. Or check out our photos and videos for an instant look at the world of science at the European Commission.

Intellectual property & Technology transfer

Intellectual Property (IP) is a terminology that refers to the ownership of intangible assets, such as inventions, novels or music. Legislators worldwide have sought to reward, for their efforts, the creators of intellectual assets with a set of proprietary rights. These rights are collectively referred to as Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

The European Commission creates, procures, acquires, and disseminates intangible assets on a regular basis, in particular copyright works such as text, sounds, videos, images, software and data. In addition, technical inventions developed by the JRC or in the frame of strategic programmes such as the Satellite Navigation programme Galileo or the ITER project are often protected by patent or design rights.

The JRC creates most of the IP rights of the Commission and has therefore developed expertise in the identification, protection, and management of IP assets. In the case of technological inventions and their transfer to third parties, the aim is to maximise their impact on society. The list of our technological inventions can be found on the patents & technologies section.

The JRC runs the Commission's Central IP Service with an aim to further enhance the effective institutional management of IPR. Experts from the Central IP Service and the Technology Transfer Office take an active role in the Commission policy-making process for policies related to IP and Technology Transfer.